Set in 1685, Dawnlands: A Novel plunges readers into a divided England on the edge of civil war. With King Charles II dead and his brother James poised to take the throne, loyalties fracture and ordinary families are swept into extraordinary events.
Ned Ferryman returns from America with his Pokanoket companion Rowan, determined to join the rebel cause. His sister Alinor and her daughter Alys are drawn into a different struggle, persuaded by the calculating Livia to help protect the new queen during an impending siege. In return, they are promised a chance to reclaim their lost home and status.
As Alinor’s son tries to keep his own past hidden, Livia ensnares him in a perilous scheme to provide a false Prince of Wales—a surrogate infant to secure the royal line. Their choices echo far beyond the English coast, reaching battle-scarred Somerset and the brutal slave island of Barbados.
This sweeping historical novel blends palace intrigue, family loyalty, and defiant courage, following one family across the expanding British empire as they confront betrayal, ambition, and the uncertain hope of a new dawn.
Themes and features
- Richly detailed Restoration-era setting
- Interwoven family drama and political conspiracy
- Exploration of empire, slavery, and moral compromise
- For readers of immersive historical and saga fiction
